Quebec Autoroute 50

A-5, Route 105, Route 148 in Gatineau (Hull)
Route 344 in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge

Autoroute 50 (Autoroute de l'Outaouais) is an Autoroute in western Quebec. Once completed, it will link the Outaouais region to the Greater Montreal area.

Currently, there are two distinct sections of A-50: one section running eastward from the central part of Gatineau to just north of Thurso, and the other section from Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours to Mirabel just beyond an interchange (Route 117) with A-15. It is expected that the gap will be filled by 2012, as a planned two-lane freeway is under construction. Once completed, A-50 will be 159 km (98.8 mi) long and will provide a faster and safer alternative to Route 148.

It was originally envisioned that A-50 would be a long freeway running all the way from L'Isle-aux-Allumettes at the Ontario border all the way to Joliette along the Route 148 and 158 corridors; however, the long extensions are unlikely to ever be constructed, especially in the western part. (The exit numbers are based on that original plan.) Construction was completed in the fall of 2007 on the road that connects Highway 148 west of the Aylmer and Hull sectors to the A-50 at the Boulevard des Allumettières interchange. There are no other plans to connect the two highways as a continuous autoroute.

One short section of Route 158 around Joliette was originally signed as A-50 as well until the project was abandoned. In addition, west of the current terminus, a four-lane at-grade expressway continues as Route 148 into the Aylmer section of Gatineau; it may become part of A-50 in the future.

A-50 is a four- to six-lane freeway through Gatineau up to Buckingham, the remainder is mostly a two-lane freeway. However, there have been demands for a four-lane highway for the new segment so it can be safer. The first two segments were built with only two lanes and a recent multi-fatality accident occurred on highway 148 near Buckingham, a section of highway that A-50 would bypass.^[2]

There is some support to rename the highway to Autoroute Maurice-Richard after historic Montreal Canadiens hockey player Maurice Richard, but the Commission de toponymie du Québec has chosen to wait until the section between Buckingham and Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours is finished before making a decision.^[3]

Safety improvements

Following a series of fatal collisions in 2007, it was announced that centerline rumble strips would be installed in various no-passing zones along Autoroute 50. This will be the first installation of its kind in Quebec and serve as a pilot project.

Exit list

Note: exit numbers in parentheses are not signed, but are based on kilometre posts.

References

Resources

• Google Maps: western section of Autoroute 50 from Gatineau to Thurso
• Google Maps: eastern section of Autoroute 50 from Grenville to Mirabel
• Transports Quebec Autoroute 50 Project Description and Timeline (in French)
• Transports Quebec Outaouais Projects Description and Timeline (in French)
• A-50 at Exitlists.com
• A-50 at Quebec Autoroutes
• Transports Quebec Map (French)

• Transports Quebec Map (French)